Bade Sapne

◇ Part 3 ◇

"Iska kya?" I asked him.

I regretted asking that question. Now I wouldn't be able to forget her. Ishan told me about how he wanted to meet her, to talk to her and how he wished she'd tell him how big of a fan she was, and how even her name was as beautiful as her.

"Naam kya hai uska?"

"Vira. Sundar, bil kul uske taraf."

"Mmm, koi toh pyaar mein pada hain."

"Yeah, I have."

I chuckled, but part of me felt annoyed, hoped that she didn't feel the same way about him.

"Tune use mila hai?"

"Nahi yaar."

"Phir tujhko uska naam kaise paata hua?"

"A friend of mine said he'll help me find her after the match. But he talked to her though. Ladki acchi lagti hai."

What? That makes no sense. I decided there was no point in questioning it.

"Hmm. Wait, mein bhi aata hun tumhare saath, tera wingman banke."

"Thik hai phir. We'll go once the match is finished. Aur haan, hum paka match jeetege."

And with that, Ishan left the dressing room. My mind was screaming at me to think about the match, but I muffled that voice and placed it at the back of my mind, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

My thoughts had been interrupted when the team came filing in, some with glasses of orange juice, and others with a cup of filter coffee. I checked my watch. We still had 10 minutes to go, but everyone needed to pad up.

Our opening batsmen got themselves ready, pads on, helmets almost on, gloves in hand, and grabbing for their bats. Everyone was looking at them as if they were going to fight a war.

This wasn't too far from one though.

MI was by far one of the strongest teams in the league. They had big hitters, and many, if not most of their players, specialised in T20 cricket anyway. I closed my eyes and prayed we would win.

I hadn't realised, but five minutes had gone by already. I needed to pad up as well. And quickly. If an early wicket fell, I needed to get out there within two minutes, otherwise I would be timed out.

Quickly throwing on my thigh pads, I realised I hadn't eaten or even drank anything. I rummaged through my bag to find a bottle of water, and the protein bar. Taking a sip of water and a bite of the protein bar, I began to do up my shin pads.

Thankfully, my brain was now in full game mode. Tactics were flying through my head. I was visualising myself hitting a couple of big sixes, and holding my bat up for my century. I put my helmet on, adjusted it, then took it off, and put my gloves on, and went to join the rest of the team on the bench outside.

I took my seat between Shami bhai and our head coach. I'd started bouncing my knee up and down, without even realising. I leant forward, eyes flitting from the scoreboard to the pitch. Bumrah paaji was bowling. I watched in awe at his bowling action.

In international situations, when we were playing for the country, I would just watch him bowl his yorkers, admiring his ability to swing the ball any way he wanted. But I had no time to admire now. He was on the other team. Just watch the ball, and HIT.

One of our key batsmen, Sai Sudharshan, was first on strike. He'd switched places with me, usually batting third, but now he was opening. He was marking the crease, first with his bat, then with his feet.

Standing well inside the crease, he adjusted his helmet, took his stance, and nodded at Bumrah paaji, who then subsequently began his run-up. Wriddhiman Saha was on the non-striker's end.

For me, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Bumrah paaji's outstretched arm extending above everyone's heads, him stepping just on the crease line, and Sai getting ready to take a shot.

The ball bounced and Sai decided to leave it, thinking it was pass just behind him. Instead, the ball turned in sharply, crashing into the stumps, as the bails flew off, illuminating Ishan's face behind the stumps. Leaving that ball would be a decision he would regret for a long time. Sai was out for a golden duck.

It took me a couple of seconds to realise that I was up next. Third man in. I grabbed my bat, took a deep breath and stepped onto the field.

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A/N

Annddd that's it for part 3 you guys!!!

It was getting really long, so I decided not to continue. There will be a part 4 coming soon, dw :))

What do you think of Ishan and Shubman's plan to meet Vira later on? What might go down? Stay tuned for the next part ;)

Also, I KNOW Sai Sudharshan usually opens anyway (I think), so it's a little factually incorrect, but hey, this is a fanfic! It's gotta move the story forward 😅

So, for Shubman's sake, Sai Sudharshan has "switched" from third man in, to 'first' man in. I genuinely haven't watched IPL for years now, so if there are any other inaccuracies, feel free to tell me, but I can't guarantee I won't make mistakes in the future 😭😭

Love you guys <3333

Thanks for reading :))) and voteeee